Teesside: Hydrogen storage facility becomes operational
The Materials Processing Institute (MPI) in Teesside has developed the innovative bulk storage facility as a ‘significant’ part of its efforts to aid industrial decarbonisation.
This facility is set to play a ‘vital role’ in exploring and implementing hydrogen as a sustainable alternative fuel source.
It has been specifically designed to power a range of industrial equipment, including preheat and reheat furnaces at MPI’s Teesside campus.
The first to benefit from this hydrogen initiative is Green Lithium, a company constructing a lithium refinery at PD Ports in Teesside.
Green Lithium will initiate hydrogen trials to decarbonise its lithium ore calcination process, aligning with its mission to boost the supply of low-carbon lithium chemicals and reduce the carbon footprint of the European battery and electric vehicle supply chains.
Derryth Young, engineering manager of Green Lithium, said: “We are excited to be collaborating with MPI on this important innovation for Teesside.
“Hydrogen is a critical utility for our lithium refinery and will be a major factor in the production of low-carbon battery-grade lithium chemicals for the European downstream EV market.”
The Institute is on track to broaden its hydrogen applications by acquiring a multi-fuel bogie hearth furnace with a five-tonne capacity.
This advanced furnace will support essential materials heat treatment processes and low-carbon fuel switch testing.
Additionally, MPI plans to establish an on-site green hydrogen generation system, thereby reducing reliance on external suppliers and improving cost efficiency.
This latest project adds to MPI’s previous achievements, including the H2DRI project and a reheat furnace hydrogen fuel switch feasibility study.
Both projects were funded by the Governmentβs Net Zero Innovation Portfolio Industrial Fuel Switching Competition.
Dr Hichem Hakka, group leader of the Energy and Process Decarbonisation team, said: “The successful hydrogen fill validates our infrastructure and safety protocols, enabling us to integrate hydrogen into decarbonisation trials.
“This milestone positions MPI as a leader in hydrogen technologies, offering invaluable support to companies exploring sustainable energy solutions.”
MPIβs hydrogen facility, developed with funding from Innovate UKβs PRISM and EconoMISER programmes, is equipped with storage tanks, piping systems, and advanced safety equipment.
These programmes focus on scaling up sustainable technologies for foundation industries.
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Terry Walsh, CEO of MPI, said: “Through our state-of-the-art facilities that replicate real-world industrial conditions, we provide a platform for testing, validating, up-scaling and de-risking hydrogen-based solutions.
“This cements our position as a leader in hydrogen-based decarbonisation technologies as well as a trusted partner for industries striving to meet the challenges of climate change.
“This facility also further strengthens Teessideβs position as a leading hub for hydrogen-based energy solutions.”